Christ Magnified our Joy

 “Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV

As Isaiah prophesied, “Lord, you have multiplied the nation and given them overwhelming joy! They are ecstatic in your presence and rejoice like those who bring in a great harvest and those who divide up the spoils of victory!”  God has magnified joy to everyone who receives the Light.  As the Light  of Jesus shines on the earth, it will bring in a harvest of joy and rejoicing.  The people of God are about to arise and spoil the kingdom of darkness, even as Israel spoiled Egypt and went out rejoicing.  God will cause our joy to overflow like those distributing loot after a battle.  Great will be the conversions, the increase and our rejoicing.  Many sons will be brought into glory as the increasing Light of Dawn appears.  With both harvest and victory in battle, people rejoice in what God has done.  A sign of the moving of God among us to fulfil this promise, is an outbreak of joy!? He fills our mouths with laughter as a sign that the great ingathering of the harvest is here.  They joy before God and are ecstatic in His Presence because He has released a heart of worship today.  The Gospel brings joy and those who receive good news, rejoice.  This is the joy of the Feast of Tabernacles.  The two great joys of the human heart come at a time of harvest and a time of victory.  As the increase is brought in, victory is experienced.  What greater joy is there in heaven and earth when souls are saved?  Amen!

Jesus Stood to Welcome Stephen in Heaven

 “and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭7‬:‭56‬, ‭58‬, ‭60‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke recorded, ““Look!” Stephen said. “I can see the heavens opening and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God to welcome me home!” Then they pounced on him and threw him outside the city walls to stone him. His accusers, one by one, placed their outer garments at the feet of a young man named Saul of Tarsus. He crumpled to his knees and shouted in a loud voice, “Our Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” And then he died.”  Jesus sits at the right hand of God, but when He saw Stephen give his last breath for the Gospel, He stood to welcome His martyr into his eternal reward.  Stephen’s graduation was Saul’s initiation who later would go on to become Paul the apostle after his conversion when he met with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.  As Stephen was about to die, the words that came out of him were the same which Jesus said to forgive His killers for they didn’t know what they were doing.  Let’s consider the example that Jesus, our Lord, has set before us. Let His mindset become our motivation. He existed in the form of God, yet He gave no thought to seizing equality with God as His supreme prize. Instead He emptied Himself of His outward glory by reducing Himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled Himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a Man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in His death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! Because of that obedience, God exalted Him  and multiplied His greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the Name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence!  Amen!

Believe in the Risen Christ

 “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “Now, suppose someone says, “Consult mediums and spiritists who moan and mutter their incantations in their ritual pits; after all, isn’t it right for people to seek oracles from their gods by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” You are to answer them: “Listen to the teaching and instruction of the Lord! If their speech does not line up with His word, they will have no light of dawn!”  In our culture today, there are many mediums and spiritists who offer knowledge of your personal future.  In fact they offer their services in hotels and resorts even!  Tell such people of the living God, Isaiah tells.  We are to tell everyone of the Risen Christ.  The light of dawn is the hope of Jesus Christ that grows inside of us.  The path of the righteous is like the light of a sunrise shining in the eastern sky.  It increases from dark to dim to bright - but the path of the righteous is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.    In times of calamity, let’s make sure we quiet our heart and seal up the Word of God in our soul.  The dawning of Christ’s glory is coming.  For us, the early rays of morning light are already shining.  Let’s believe in the Risen Christ.  Amen!

God Resists the Proud

 “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “Stephen, who was a man full of grace and supernatural power, performed many astonishing signs and wonders and mighty miracles among the people.”  Stephen was not a gentile but a Greek speaking Jewish believer, for later when he addressed the high priest and others in the temple, he said, “fellow Jews and fathers”.  Stephen is from the Hebrew Zephaniah which means “Yah has treasured him”.  Although he was a powerful minister of the Word, Stephen was humble to accept the task of serving as a deacon.  God used Stephen to work miracles of power through his ministry, even though he was a deacon and not an apostle.  The miraculous is not for the few but for the many.  God looks at the hidden motives, the thoughts and intents of our heart to see whether it is giving true glory to God or not.  Humility in the heart is what counts with God and if it’s anything else, it doesn’t work with God. The Word of God tells us to be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Let’s choose to have a servant’s heart of serving our true Master and giving all the glory to Him, not just in words but with all our heart and be ready to be used by Him for the miraculous.  Amen!

Christ Our Immanuel

 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold—the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son and will name Him God Among Us.”  There is nothing miraculous about a young woman having a baby, it happens every day.  However, the uniqueness is the prophecy of the virgin birth of the Messiah.  No child with a human father could be the fulfilment of Immanuel, “God among us”.  This prophecy was specifically the virgin Mary giving birth to the Son of David of the tribe of Judah.  Immanu El” is “God became One of us”.  A new nature is about to be planted in the soil of humanity.  It will begin as a Man but will soon become a company of men and women.  Immanuel is the partnership of heaven and earth, God and humanity.  This is also the prophecy of the virgin Bride of Christ of the last days.  Paul prophesied that God has betrothed us to One Husband, that we be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ.  This is the Father’s will for us who have Christ in us and have identified with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.  Amen!

The Church is Being Built

 “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke recorded, “The apostles performed many signs, wonders, and miracles among the people.”  These were the disciples who were now filled with the Holy Spirit and were doing all that Jesus had done.  Jesus had told His twelve disciple on the night that He was betrayed, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”  This was to build His Church for the Church is Jesus’s Body of which He is the Head.  Jesus had said that the gates of hell will not prevail against Him building His Church.  At this time when the Church began, through the apostles,  many believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.  Till today the gates of hell have not prevailed against the Church as down the ages many believers have continued to join the Church.  As Paul said, that God gave gifts to the Church, “And Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”.  Let’s believe in the miracles, signs and wonders God does through believers even today - who may be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers - to bring many souls into His Church for He is the Living God.  Amen!

Be Holy for God is Holy

 “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah saw God, “And one called out to another, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, Commander of Angel Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”  The seraphs in the very Presence of God make the threefold repetition of the word holy as a reference to the way God manifests His holiness: - in heaven; in this world; and in the ages to come.  Today we see the triune God being praised: Holy (Father), Holy (Son), Holy (Spirit).  This sacred chant has been heard down the ages in church history in worship.  God is known as the Holy One of Israel.  Isaiah saw the sinfulness of man and the seraphim saw the glory of God.  Today, because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross, because of the Name of Christ, we are greatly blessed, because the Spirit of glory and power, who is the Spirit of God, rests upon us.  God said that He is holy and called us to be holy.  The Blood of Jesus sanctifies us into holiness and we are to follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.  Let’s live godly and holy lives because we who are Christ’s disciples, carry the Presence of God.  Amen!

Our Personal Experience with the Life-Giver & the Covenant of Life

 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬

Dr. Luke records, “There is no one else who has the power to save us, for there is only One  Name to Whom God has given authority by which we must experience salvation: the Name of Jesus.” The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with Him.”  Just a few days ago the disciples were hiding for their life from the authorities and even when Jesus had told them to tarry in Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high, yet they disobeyed and went back to fishing in the lake at Galilee.  At this moment, after they received the power of the Holy Spirit, they were courageously withstanding the temple authorities and insisting there was no man who could claim to be the Messiah other than Jesus.  The coming of the Holy Spirit in power had made them experience the Life-Giver and they remembered the Covenant of Life Christ had made with them.  Unless each one of us who call ourselves the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ have our own personal life experience with the mighty Holy Spirit, our preaching Bible verses has no power and will not bring the fruit God desires for us.  Let’s remember the Covenant of Life that Christ has made for us personally and receive the Holy Spirit power in our lives.  Amen!

The Absolute Standard of God’s Word

 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who replace darkness with light and light with darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and see themselves as clever and shrewd.”  In that time among the Israelites and in our culture today, the moral code is reversed.  Sin is accepted as something good and not content with abandoning what is good, they must label good as evil.  Those who abandon the absolute standards of God’s Word find a reversal of every true virtue.  Good is mocked and evil is embraced.  Light is ridiculed and darkness is worn like a cloak.  The sweetness of God is called bitter; the bitterness of sin is called sweet.  Who will outwit Eternal Wisdom and who can outsmart Infinite Wisdom?  God will resist the proud of heart.  The Wisdom that comes from above is without pride for Christ through the Cross became for us Wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”  Amen!

R storation & Fulfillment of All Things

 “whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Dr. Luke recorded, “For He must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things has taken place, fulfilling everything that God said long ago through His holy prophets.”  Restitution is the restoration of all creation to the state of existence before the fall.  Jesus had to be born as the Son of Man Who descended and He is also the One Who ascended above the heights of heaven, in order to begin the restoration and fulfillment of all things.  Jesus Himself had said, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory..” There is an appointed time of the restitution of all creation and that’s why God’s Word has been given to us, which is the very Breath of God.  All Scripture is God-breathed, given by divine inspiration and is profitable for instruction, for conviction of sin, for correction of error and restoration to obedience, for training in righteousness, learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage.  This is the heart restoration for us to be prepared with, so that we are an integral part of the restoration of all creation.  Let’s abide in God’s Word all the time.  Amen!